Blooming lovely award for Todmorden station volunteers
Volunteers at one of Northern’s West Yorkshire stations have been celebrating success after winning a top accolade from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Todmorden in Bloom and Friends of Todmorden Railway Station scooped a Gold award in the 2023 Yorkshire Rose Town Summer Award category.
The volunteers have turned the station into a riot of colour by installing planters, hanging baskets as well as tending to their ‘Lover’s Walk’ garden.
The garden was recreated at the station after it won a bronze medal at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in the Community Borders category.
It was sponsored by the train operator and was inspired by walks to the town’s local landmark Stoodley Pike, a monument where couples would graffiti dedications to each other.
Visitors to the station can now enjoy a replica of the monument alongside flowers that symbolise romance such as Larkspur, Dahlias, Geraniums and Nigella (Love in a Mist).
Shelia Greenwood, from Friends of Todmorden and Todmorden in Bloom said: "We are proud and delighted to be representing Yorkshire in this prestigious national competition, it is a huge accolade for a small town like Todmorden and the Calderdale Line. The RHS have recognised our towns strong sense of community spirit, interesting horticulture, sustainability, and environment. We would like to thank Northern for their constant encouragement and all our supporters who have helped make this possible.
Kerry Peters, regional director at Northern, said: “I’d like to thank all our volunteers who have created a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy and for their continued work at Todmorden station.”
“Our community partners are the heartbeat of the railway and we’re extremely proud to work closely with them to deliver such a wide-ranging positive impact for the north of England.”
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.